Richmondites for Modular Housing

Our names are Joannie Fu and Vinson Shih and we are students from the University of Toronto. We have spent our childhood and adolescence in Richmond and continue to call it home. Planning to base our futures here, we are deeply invested in our community. Recently, it has come to our attention that there has been some vocal opposition against the planned modular supportive housing initiative to be built at 7300 Elmbridge that will help those experiencing homelessness and women fleeing domestic abuse. Many of the arguments presented by the opposition work to perpetuate misinformed ideas of homelessness and foster unfounded fear against people experiencing homelessness.

We are starting this campaign to show our support for the fellow members of our community that lack a home, and hope that you can join us in creating positive change by urging City Council to approve the proposal.

Richmond as a compassionate community:

People experiencing homelessness are human beings that deserve to have a place to call home.

As a predominantly immigrant-based community, many of us have experienced racism or discrimination for being from another place and for being unable to adapt at times to cultural norms. Thus, we think we should be even more empathetic to others who are currently experiencing discrimination and hardship in their lives.

Equating and generalizing those without a home as criminals is the same type of argument that fosters the racism many Asian-, Chinese-, and Muslim-Canadians before us have and continue to face. By examining our misconceptions and stereotypes that foster fear against those we deem as different from ourselves - recognizing that we are all human - is the first step in creating positive change in our communities.

Benefits of the housing initiative:

Opportunity to educate our children on values of compassionand empathy. Instead of teaching our children to fear those that seem different based on their circumstances, this is the perfect opportunity to educate our future generations on the effect on individuals of not having a home, and how we can work together to solve the problem through community involvement, community stewardship and volunteerism.

Greater engagement between people with different life experiences. We see it as an opportunity where community members can volunteer, where community events can be held, and where we can build greater connections with each other, understand different lived experiences, and create a stronger and more welcoming community.

Provides housing and safe shelter for both those experiencing homelessness and women fleeing domestic violence. One of the most vital steps we can take as a community is providing structures in which these vulnerable groups are able to break free from cycles of vulnerability and develop a stronger sense of independence with support from their community. The modular supportive housing program is a practical step towards making that happen.

Addressing the arguments against the project:

"It will bring crime and drugs into the community"

Conflating those experiencing homelessness with criminality and drug-abuse is a problematic assumption not based on facts.

Crime and drug abuse is not limited to any one group of people. Crime exists on all social strata of society and cuts across all levels of wealth, race, gender, and country of origin.

Many 'dangers' we attribute to homeless people are symptoms and products of their fight for survival in a state of deprival. To deny these people the resources they need to exit this cycle would be inhumane and counterproductive.

"A 'safety' concern for children in the community"

Schools and teenagers in Marpole have responded to their community’s own homeless housing initiative with enthusiasm, and have conveyed their support to those fighting homelessness through acts of kindness and volunteerism. This has occurred not only despite of, but perhaps in response to, a vocal minority of adults who have used children’s ‘safety’ as an excuse to broadcast their prejudice and cause users of the housing program to feel unwelcome in the community. This project is the perfect opportunity to teach our kids to empathize with those that seem different from them, as Marpole has shown, and to foster values of love, care and support within the community. The concerns of ‘safety’ are easily alleviated when people take the time to build connections and get to know the people who will use the facilities.

City of Richmond spokesman Ted Townsend said BC Housing has a “very extensive, comprehensive tenant selection process” that the RCMP participates in, along with other organizations. “If there are tenants that pose a potential risk to the community, they will be screened out through that process,” he said.

"The housing should be built elsewhere"

The modular supportive housing initiative seeks help the 70 people within Richmond that lack a home. To suggest housing be built elsewhere is irresponsible not only because it minimizes the toll of being dislocated, but diminishes the human worth of those experiencing homelessness.

Refusing to challenge the prejudice and stereotypes held against people experiencing homelessness in order to argue that they either do not deserve to be helped, or that they should be housed elsewhere, takes advantage of the vulnerability of people experiencing homelessness as one of the most marginalized populations in our society who do not have a say in their own future.

Call to action:

We call on the council to approve the modular housing initiative to help people out of homelessness and women experiencing abuse. The program is an important step in ameliorating the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our community. The opposition and fear against the initiative are largely based on unfounded claims of danger. We must not allow those in positions of power and privilege to impede on our responsibilities to those in need. The initiative is an opportunity to build a stronger, more compassionate, more enriching and more equitable community we can all call home.